Battery connector clamp



May 4, 1954 A. H. RIEG BATTERY CONNECTOR CLAMP Filed Nov. 29, 1952 IN VEN TOR. 454??? A? 12 25 BY JYVQ EWf' Patented May 4, 1954 ATENT OFFICE2,677,812 BATTERY CONNECTOR CLAMP Albert H. Rieg, Big Bear L fifty pernt to James Lake, Calif.

ake, Calif., asslgnor of N. Dickenson, Big Bear Application November 29,1952, Serial N 0. 323,203 1 Claim. (01. 339229) This invention relatesto battery connector clamps.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a clamp to secure abattery cable to the terminals of a standard car type battery by a quicklock action.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a clamp whichwill quickly and easily secure the battery cable to the terminals of acar type battery and which may be adjusted for diiierent sizes ofterminal posts.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a clampof the above type which will aiford positive contact between theconnector and binding post.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a clampof the above type which does not require the use of tools for operativeuse.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a clampof the above type for detachably connecting a cable to the terminal postof a battery which while being secure and in good contact with the postis nevertheless easy to detach and remove from the post.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a batteryconnector clamp bearing the above objects in mind which is of simpleconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts,is durable, easy to use and eilicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the presentinvention, reference may be had to the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a battery connector clamp embodying thefeatures of the present invention and showing the lock lever partlybroken away to illustrate the slight recess behind 115;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof showing the same in operative use on abattery and partly in cross section and Fig. 3 is a side elevationalview of the invention showing the lock lever in an open or inoperativeposition.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, in which similar referencenumerals identify like parts throughout the several views, there isshown a battery connector clamp, referred to collectively as I 0, andincluding a clamp body I I having a pair of integral clamping arms I2and I3, substantially as illustrated.

The body II at the end remote from arms I2 and I3 is provided with acylindrical opening I4 adapted to receive therewithin the bared end I5of cable IS, the top of body II further being provided with aninternally threaded opening I! communicating with opening I4 and intowhich is screwed a set-screw l 8 engaging the bared end I5 oftransmission cable I6 in an obvious manner.

The cable end it may, of course, be soldered or otherwise secured withinopening I4 for the purposes of the present invention.

The inner faces of arms I2 and I3 and the adjacent portion of body IIare cut out in a circular manner, substantially as illustrated, the cutout portion having a conical internal face complemental in shape to thetapered upper end of battery shank I9 whereby to embrace the same.

The arm I2 is split from the arm IS, the inner faces thereof 28 and 2|being substantially parallel and planar, and being pierced by aligned,cylindrical openings 22 and 23 which rotatably receive one leg 24 of asubstantially L-shaped, cylindrical lock lever having a handle 25. Theouter face of arm I2 is bevelled as at 26 for a purpose to behereinafter referred to.

The free end of leg 24 is externally threaded as at 27 and has screwedthereon a nut 28 which abuts the outer face of arm I3, substantially asillustrated.

The outer face of arm I2 is provided with a slight recess 29 for apurpose to be referred to directly.

It will be noted that the corner intermediate leg 24 and handle 25 isbent so that the two portions are at substantially right angles to eachother.

With the bared end I5 of transmission cable It secured within opening I4 by means of setscrew I8 and the leg 24 secured within openings 22 and23 by means of nut 28, the handle 25 is rotated to the open orinoperative position shown in Fig. 3. This permits the arms I2 and I3 toseparate their maximum amount, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,whereupon the clamp It may be slipped onto the shank I9.

The handle 25 is then rotated to the locking position shown in Figs. 1and 2. When the lock lever is in this position it forces the ends ofarms I2 and I3 to a tightening position by a cam action as at 30 (seeFig. 2), thereby drawing the faces 20 and 2I approximately 1% of an inchcloser together. This tension is relieved when the handle 25 of the locklever is rotated to the position shown in Fig. 3, as at 3! (see Fig. 2).

The recess 29 serves to lock the handle 25 of the lock lever in place,as shown in Fig. 1, when the clamp shank I9.

The nut 28 permits a variety of adjustments, allowing the lock lever tobe locked and permitting the clamp In to fit different size shanks 19.This nut 28 serves as a stop and is not a tightening factor.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided a clamp to securea battery cable to the terminals of a standard car typebattery by aquick lock action, the clamp being quickly and easily secured to thebattery shank and adjustable for different sized shanks. It should alsobe apparent that there has been provided a clamp which will afiordpositive clamping action and contact between the connector and shank,which requires no special tools to install, and which while being secureand in good contact with the shank is nevertheless easy to detach andremove therefrom.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of my invention, what isclaimed is:

A battery connector clamp comprising a clamp body having a pair ofintegral clamping arms, said body at the end remote from said armshaving an opening adapted to receive therewithin the bared end of atransmission cable, the top of said body having an internally threadedopening communicating with said first opening, a setscrew within saidlast mentioned opening adapted to engage the bared end of the said cablewithin said first opening, the inner faces of said arms and the adjacentbody portion being cut- ID is normally locked upon the out in a circularmanner, the cut out portion having a conical inner face complemental inshape to the tapered upper end of a battery shank whereby to embrace thesame, said arms being split apart with the inner, adjacent faces thereofsubstantially parallel and planar, said arms having aligned,substantially cylindrical openings therethrough' piercing said inneradjacent faces, a substantially L-shaped lock lever, one leg of saidlever being rotatably mounted within said aligned openings and extendingoutwardly. therefrom at each end, the free end of said leg beingexternally threaded, a nut screwed onto said threaded free end of saidleg, said nut abutting the outer face of one of said arms, the outerface of the other of said arms being bevelled inwardly towards itsfreeend, a lateral handle integrally formed in the other end of said leg andextending thereto at substantially right angles, said handle beingadapted to be rotated into flush engagement with the longitudinal sideof said body adjacent said bevelled arm, the junction of said handlewith said leg cooperating with said bevelled face in a cam action uponrotation of said handle to said flush position whereby to draw said armstogether about the shank of a battery, and said longitudinal side havinga recess receiving the portion of said handle adjacent said leg wherebyto retain the same in the locking position.

Name Date Thomas May 2, 1939 Taylor Nov. 13, 1945 Number

